Okay, so it’s not gonna be possible to forget Iguazu falls in a hurry. Those are some big waterfalls!

The falls!

But there´s one other thing that sticks in my mind. This is the sight of a man flicking a cigarette into Rio Iguazu. He didn’t notice that I had seem him do this. His wife did and I think from the way her eyes widened before shirkily placing themselves back in her husband’s glance, she could see the rage that was coming over my face.

On the main viewpoint of the waterfalls you can look down and see a dozen plastic bottles nestled in amongst the rocks.

For some reason I assumed there would be more awareness of pollution and the environment in Brazil, after all it is their rainforest that is being chopped down for hamburgers.

My thinking was already heading in this direction though, due to the number of bags I was being given at the super market. Checkout girls looked on in amazement if I refused one. “Do you not want a bag?” “No”, “Are you sure?” “Yes”, “So you don’t want a bag then?” “No” And almost every item gets its own bag. Fruit goes in one bag, drinks in another, cold drinks in another still. Bar of soap? Gets its own bag.

On entering Parque Nacional da Iguazu, there are signs everywhere reading ‘UNESCO World Heritage Site’, ‘Vote for the New Seven Wonders of the World’, ‘Protect the Environment’. How can someone just throw a cigarette into the river? I just find the whole thing baffling.

Maybe I'm allergic

Next: I am on my way to Buenos Aires in a Super Cama. I have fully reclinable capabilities. And I have just been served warm beef and potatoes. This really is luxury.

About

On The Road to Find Out is a blog all about South America which I started in March 2009 upon landing in Rio de Janeiro, and which includes stories from my travels in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay.

As well as these travel stories, you will hopefully also get to understand my obsessions with food, football and music, all of which go hand-in-hand with travelling around South America, on a journey which has no end in sight yet.